Kimmel the warrior bagel endures at Montreal & London bakeries
There are only two places in the world where I've seen kimmel bagels, Fairmount Bagel in Montreal and Happening Bagel in London. Kimmel (or kiml) is Yiddish for caraway seed, the classic accessory for Jewish rye bread.
As the best bagel bakeries in their respective cities a neutral observer might think Fairmount and Happening were, if not equals, deserving of comparison. Nonsense. Although I would gladly pay 5 British Pounds Sterling for a single fresh Fairmount bagel in London I wouldn't spend 5 Canadian pennies on a Happening bagel in Montreal. But the caraway coating does benefit the Happening bagel (see photo above) more: the seeds add a sweet, tangy flavour and a gritty crunch to its shell.
And what of the name Kimmel? That is a matter of interpretation. Its Anglo-Saxon origin may be as a derivative of Kimble, from the Old Cymric "Cymbel" – "cyn" (chief) + "bel" (war). Its German and Jewish roots indicate an occupational name for a seller of caraway seeds. As someone who tends to split the bagel in two I would prefer to think of the Kimmel ancestors as great warriors who laid down their swords to peddle the seeds of peace.

